Last Straw
by Awesomejoyce
Summary: Thalia's only joy in the world was her baby brother Jason. Then, her mother just had to go and give him away to a goddess she knew would probably kill him. That was the last straw. It was what made her run away, for a new start.
1. A Family Trip

''Thalia, get up! We have something important we need to do today!'' My mother was shaking me awake.

''I want to sleep,'' I mumbled. ''Why do I have to be involved in whatever this is?'' My mom kept shaking me.

Ugh. I _hated_ my life. It was _always_ like this – my mom dragging me along with every stupid, pointless thing she did. She was a famous TV actress. You know, the kind that does dumb things, and then the reporters catch you on camera doing those dumb things, and then those dumb things end up splashed on the cover of all the tabloids. All she wanted was attention, and she didn't care what she had to do to get it.

My dad is Zeus. Yeah, the king of the gods and all that. Mom went ecstatic that she had attracted his attention. It was like she had reached the biggest goal ever, had gotten the best attention ever. I wasn't supposed to be born. I wasn't supposed to know about that, either, but I overheard my mom and dad talking about it. Apparently, Zeus's immortal wife, Hera, the queen of the gods, hates any demigod children that Zeus has with mortal women. That just might explain why monsters keep trying to have me for dinner. Or lunch, or breakfast, or any meal.

People had been saying lately that mom was too self-involved and not a good mother, which is _so_ true, so she had made a point to take me, her nine-year-old daughter, along with her to every public event she attended. For good publicity. To show she was a 'caring mom'. Yeah, right. Sometimes she even took my sweet little baby brother, Jason, with her.

Jason was the most adorable baby ever. He was two years old and always so cute, so happy. He was too innocent to be involved in this wreck of a family. Jason was the only reason I put up with my mom. He was the only thing that brightened up my life and made me keep going every day. I had to protect him and take care of him. Obviously my mother couldn't do the job.

Finally I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I glared at my mom. ''Well? What is it today? A talk show? An exclusive celeb party?''

She looked nervous, for some reason. Maybe a big interview coming up? That had happened before, and you should have seen her when the interviewer started asking her questions about her family.

Finally she found some words. ''No, Thalia. Today we are… uh, going to have some _fun!_ I'm taking you and Jason to… to the park! It's the coolest place, up near the wine country. And, um, we're going to spend the whole day there! We're going to… have a picnic and everything! What do you think?''

Whoa. Hold up a moment. _What _was going on? My brain immediately registered all the things that were totally wrong, totally suspicious. First, Mom never tried to have fun with us, much less take us to the park. Second, she was acting so nervous, like she knew something bad was going to happen soon. Third, she wasn't talking in her usual rude way, more in a fidgety, half-guilty tone. And Jason was coming too? That was unusual.

A part of me wanted to believe her so badly. Mom and I had never gotten along, and we most definitely never did anything for _fun._ I wanted to believe that she had changed, and that she was telling me the truth, that all she wanted to do was have a fun trip with her kids.

But the other part of me, which was _most _of me, grew immediately skeptical. I had never trusted Mom. I had good reasons not to. She had lied to me plenty of times and had dragged me into plenty of bad situations in the past. This seemed like another one of those times.

I decided that I had to give her a chance. But I would be very, very careful during this 'trip'.

''Fine,'' I said.


	2. Picnic Basket

Soon we were driving along, up north. I was seated in the back next to Jason, who was chattering on happily in his usual way. Just seeing him always makes my heart melt and all my problems disappear.

''Where we going? Where we going?'' Jason babbled. He stared into my eyes with his big blue ones. He was fiddling with a paper airplane that I had folded for him, since of course Mom would never take the time to make sure Jason had any toys.

Mom didn't answer him. She just stared straight ahead, driving stiffly.

''We're going to… the park,'' I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. ''We're going to have a lot of fun.''

''Fun!'' Jason repeated. ''Jason likes fun. Fun airplanes and butterflies! Butterflies green purple blue… fly, fly! Yay!'' He prattled on and on, bouncing around in his seat, his tiny hands making the airplane move in circles and swirls and up and down. ''Jason likes flying. Jason will fly!''

I laughed and ruffled his messy blond hair. He was just so adorable. And flying, who knew? Maybe he _would_ be able to do that someday, as the son of Zeus. That sure would be worth watching.

Jason kept playing with his paper airplane. He flew it to me, and I flew it back. He had pretty good aim for a two-year-old. Soon we were both laughing and having an awesome time.

''We're here,'' Mom said a few minutes later. I realized that we were. The car had stopped in a field, the park I guess, with a big house in the center. ''I'll take Jason,'' she said sharply. ''You go on ahead, Thalia. Go run around or something. I'll catch up with you soon.''

Jason suddenly stopped messing around with his paper airplane. ''Thalya,'' he insisted. ''Thalya take Jason.''

I didn't wait for my mom's response. No way was I going to let _her_ be alone with Jason. Who knew what she'd do to him?

''Of course I'll take you, Jason,'' I smiled, unbuckling his seat belt and lifting him up in my arms. ''I'll keep you safe. I always will.''

I thought Mom would snatch Jason away from me, but all she did was sigh exasperatingly. She kept fidgeting with her hair, her clothes, her makeup. She was _never_ this nervous. _What_ was she up to?

We got out of the car. I set Jason on the ground. He always liked walking by himself, trying things by himself. He toddled over to the left.

''We're going over there,'' Mom snapped, pointing to a huge building in the middle of the park, which was in the opposite direction of where Jason was going.

''Don't yell at him,'' I said angrily to Mom. I took Jason's tiny hand. ''Come on, Jase. Let's go see what the 'great thing' Mom planned for us is.''

We had walked about fifteen steps when my mother stopped abruptly.

''What?'' I asked her. ''Aren't we 'going over there'?''

''I…. just forgot,'' she muttered. ''I left the picnic basket in the car. Go get it, Thalia.'' She tossed me the keys. ''We can't have a picnic without the food. I packed cheeseburgers, your favorite. And Jason's favorite.''

Normally, I wouldn't have followed her orders, of course. But this time, she wasn't even being rude about asking. And it wasn't a really big favor, either. Besides, she was right, we'd need the picnic basket for our picnic. And I really did love cheeseburgers. And Jason really did love them too.

''All right,'' I agreed a little uncertainly, taking the keys. It certainly couldn't hurt to leave them alone for a few minutes, could it?

Mom looked a little relieved. ''Go on, then,'' she said. She picked up Jason, who squirmed in her arms.

''It's okay, Jason,'' I reassured him. ''I'll be back soon.'' I patted his little head and handed him his paper airplane, which he had dropped. Then I turned around and started walking back to the car.


	3. Jason Is Gone

With every step I took, I grew more nervous and the feeling that something was wrong became stronger. What had I been thinking? Mom had been acting so nervous again, a sure sign something was up, and I had just left…

_You're just getting a picnic basket, gods,_ I scolded myself. _Stop worrying so much. _I cleared my mind of Jason and my mother and walked faster to the car.

When I got there I turned the key in the lock and lifted open the trunk. There were a few bottles of beer that my mother had stashed there, Jason's faded blue blanket, a pack of ambrosia that I had packed in case of emergency, and…. Aha, the picnic basket.

I picked it up and glanced inside. Cheeseburgers! Orange soda too. Yum. Jason would love that.

I closed the trunk carefully, and started walking back to the big house with the basket in my hand.

Right away I could tell something was wrong. I was still walking, but I could see Mom kneeling on the steps of the house. Her head was in her lap, as if she were crying… and Jason wasn't with her.

I started running, a few napkins falling out from the basket, but I didn't stop to pick them up.

''MOM!'' I shouted when I reached her. ''What happened? Where… where's Jason?''

She didn't answer for a long time. Finally she turned around and lifted her head up. Her face was streaked with tears. ''He's gone,'' she moaned. ''He's as good as dead.''

My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. What did she mean? _What_ had happened? What had happened to the sweetest baby ever?

I looked at the picnic basket that I had thrown on the floor. I remembered how I had planned to have cheeseburgers and orange soda with him. I recalled my last image of him, my last words to him, saying that I'd be back soon.

Jason_ couldn't_ be gone. He couldn't! ''What – what do you mean?'' I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. I felt tears coming, but I didn't try to stop them.

''Hera claimed him. He's as good as dead,'' she repeated mournfully.

Hera? Was she _crazy?_ I didn't know much about Hera, but I knew that she hated children of Zeus, like I said earlier. And my mother had just given Jason, a son of Zeus, to her. _Who knew _what Hera would do to him? Sacrifice him, that was for sure. There was no way she'd let him live. Mom was right about one thing. He was as good as dead.

Jason, dead. My baby brother, dead. The most innocent demigod ever, dead. My only joy in this whole messed-up world was gone. And it was _all my mother's fault. _

''_Why did you give him to Hera?_'' I screamed. I felt like I was going to explode with anger and shock. My whole body was tingling with electricity. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. What was there left to care about?

I shoved my mother, hard, and she yelped in pain when the blue flash of lightning zapped her back a good ten feet into the stone wall of the house.

The next moments were hazy and unclear. I remembered running as fast as I could go, searching all over the park for Jason. I remembered not finding him, I remembered crying and screaming as my mother dragged me back to the car and drove me home.

I sobbed and yelled at my mom the whole way. When we finally got back, I went straight to the phone and dialed 911.

''Hello? How may I help you?'' A woman's voice asked calmly when she picked up.

''I-I-m-my mother g-gave my baby b-brother J-Jason to someone she knew would k-kill him,'' I stuttered, wiping away some tears.

''_Thalia!_'' Mom screamed. ''What are you _doing?_ Do you want to get me _arrested?_''

''Yes,'' I shouted at her.

''Who is your mother, and where is your location?'' The lady on the phone continued.

I told her, and when I said my mother's name, the lady asked, ''Ms. Grace? You don't mean Jennifer Amy Grace, as in the actress, do you?''

''Yes, I do. This is her daughter, Thalia. Please come as fast as you can. Thank you.''


	4. A New Start

I felt a little bit calmer, just a little bit, after I'd called the police, even though I knew they couldn't get Jason back if a goddess was involved. But they might be able to give my mother what she deserved. And she deserved _a lot._

''_Thalia! _Oh gods, you little - ''

My mother was interrupted by a knock on the door. They sure got here fast.

''Hello?'' a policeman with a thick mustache asked, peeking his head in.

His partner, a policewoman with a curly brown ponytail, asked, ''Is this the Grace residence? The one where we got a call regarding Ms. Jennifer Amy Grace?''

''No!'' my mother screeched. Then she seemed to remember that they were police and immediately turned her scowl into a charming smile. ''I mean, no, of course not,'' she said in a much gentler tone.

''Yes!'' I shouted.

''Excuse us, Ms. Grace, but we were directed to ask you a few questions concerning your son.''

My mom used her famous acting skills. She smiled innocently at the police. ''Oh, but of course. After all, there is nothing for you to worry about. I lead a perfectly safe and happy home here, don't I, Thalia?''

''No, you don't,'' I growled.

''All right, all right, let's get on with the questioning. If I may just take you aside…'' the policeman led Mom to the basement. ''Stay here, kiddo,'' he said to me.

I sat down on one of the messy couches in the living room. For the next few minutes, I wondered desperately what they were asking her.

Now that I was thinking more about it, I had doubts about whether they'd really be able to get it out of her. She was a good liar. She'd come up with some story, flash a winning smile, get them all to believe her.

It seemed like forever until they came back. I couldn't tell what the result of the interrogation was. Mom still had that fake smile on her face.

''Thank you for your help,'' the policeman said. ''We will be back next week for some more investigating.''

''You are very welcome,'' my mother said. ''Good night.'' They left, and she closed the door.

As soon as they were gone, Mom turned on me with an enraged expression on her face, her calm mask melting off instantly. ''You! How dare you call the police on me, girl?'' she screamed. She grabbed the nearest thing she could find – a dictionary – and hurled it at me.

I dodged it easily. The heavy book crashed into the wall behind me and a few pages flew out.

''How dare _I call the police on you?_'' I shouted. I couldn't _believe_ this. She'd given her _son_ away to someone she knew would kill him, and she was asking me why I called the police on her, like she was the only thing in the whole world that mattered? ''You gave _Jason _away!''

''It was necessary!'' she bellowed. ''You little traitor! You just want to get me in trouble, don't you? I am your mother! You should support me!''

''Support you? Support you to do what? Support you to sacrifice your children?'' I was tingling with electricity again, which meant I was mad – really mad. I felt like I was going to explode.

''I told you; I had no choice! Hera was going to kill me!''

''So you let her kill Jason instead,'' I yelled. ''Some kind of mother you are. All you care about is yourself.'' I stormed upstairs to my room and slammed the door. Downstairs I could hear my so-called mother getting a drink.

I threw myself onto my bed and pounded my pillow. I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stay with that monster anymore. The only reason I'd ever tolerated Mom was Jason. Now he was gone because of her. That was the last straw. I had to leave this place that was full of bad memories.

I grabbed my celestial bronze spear and some ambrosia and nectar. I stuffed them in my backpack along with a few other necessities. I took one last look around my room, which I had lived in for my whole life, and then walked out the door.

Downstairs Mom was passed out with a bottle of wine in her hand. I ignored her and ran outside.

I felt a little calmer once I was in the open air, like I was free and not contained. To my right were some woods, woods that Jason and I had taken so many walks in. I pushed that recollection out of my mind.

I would survive on my own from now on. I'd try to put all these horrible memories behind me. I wouldn't talk about Jason ever again, not with anyone. Maybe I'd forget the pain.

I knew one thing for sure – if I managed to make any friends, I would never abandon them like my mother had abandoned Jason. I would stay and fight by their side to the very end. I wouldn't make the same bad choices Mom made.

I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that I had to get away from this place. I needed to get a new start. I prayed to the gods that my journey would go well.

Then I took a deep breath and walked into the leafy forest.


End file.
